NewsNation) — President Joe Biden has told aides he believes he should not have ended his presidential campaign and that he could have defeated Donald Trump, a source has confirmed to NewsNation.

Biden, who will leave the White House after Trump’s inauguration on January 20, said in the conversations that he believes he could have won the November election despite low approval rankings, sources confirmed.

He also said he should have remained in the race despite the debate performance that many believe led to Biden dropping out of the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris was defeated by Trump, who won both the Electoral College and popular vote en route to his capturing a second term in the White House.

After the election loss, Harris vowed for a peaceful transfer of power during her concession speech.

The Washington Post was the first to report the conversation between Biden and his aides.

A NewsNation source with knowledge of the conversations between Biden and the aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that other associates believe Biden should have never dropped out of the race.

Biden has not criticized Harris in the conversations, the source said.

Biden said that Americans needed to keep the faith after Trump’s victory and commended Harris for a “whole heart effort.”

“The struggle for the soul of America, since our very founding, has always been an ongoing debate, and still vital today,” Biden said. “I know for some people, it’s a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss. Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made.”